Youth Entrepreneurs

The Pittsburgh Community rallied around the #UcanB Career Education Program. A vast array of organizations and individuals contributed to help educate youth.   More than 50 guest speakers from more than 50 local organizations and businesses visited #UcanB classrooms, participated in #UcanB events and hosted #UcanB students for tours. This allowed #UcanB the opportunity to expose students to a multitude of career paths and job opportunities. Students met with a diverse group of businesses representing government, retail, IT, entrepreneurship, military, media, advanced manufacturing and more! Some of the programs at Propel Braddock over the years are described below. Erik Ross of Bitcore and Scott Albert from #UcanB led a STEM seminar at Propel Braddock. Students in the Media and Technology Courses at Propel Braddock participated in the program. This included 10th-12th grade students who are preparing for and learning skills needed to compete in the IT, Media and/or Gaming Industries. Topics for the seminar included Careers in IT, Careers in Media, IT Skills Needed to Succeed, Video Game Design and Entrepreneurship. The #UcanB Program at Propel Braddock ended with one of the year’s most unique presentations. Drew Cady, Sound Engineer for Seismic Island Labs in Seattle, concluded the 5-week IT seminar with a Skype presentation for students. The accomplished sound engineer, whose experiences include sound design for Pirates of the Caribbean and Finding Nemo, shared with students the creativity process he now applies to the video game series Guild Wars 1 & Guild Wars 2. Mr. Cady shared videos of his team creating sound effects out of everyday items such as cardboard boxes, musical instruments, animal calls, and even scrap metal turned to fireballs! Every student in the class had the opportunity to ask specific questions. Mr. Cady was very gracious with the time he spent with each student. In addition to the presentations, every student at Propel Braddock received a FREE online career portal accounts. This most recent UcanB program at Propel Braddock was made possible through the generous support of the Verizon Foundation. Previous to that, the program was made possible through the suport of the Education Foundation. Classes in 2018, focused on careers in entrepreneurship, the entertainment industry, softskills and networking, and careers in criminal justice. Recent speakers included: Aaron Aldrich – Bridgeway Capital Lee Davis – Presidental Award Winner, Braddock Native, and Entrepreneur Julius Boatwright – Julius Boatwright, MSW, LSW – Person-Centered Community Servant – Will Allen Foundation Jessica Albert – US Probation – Careers in Criminal...

UcanB has wrapped up a successful 2016-2017 school year. This year alone, the program incorporated many new schools in addition to the many schools the program has already impacted. The UcanB program differs from most scholastic programs due to the broad range of real-life topics that are taught. The program taught varying topics that the students would otherwise not be exposed to. The topics that the UcanB program brings to these schools vary from technology training all the way to entrepreneurship. The goal is essentially to expose the students to things they might be interested in taking as a career path, or even study in school. The program also recognized that many students don’t end up going onto college, and through the UcanB Career Opportunity Fairs, they have a chance to be offered a full time job on the spot. This year, the program changed the lives and paths of many students who never planned on going to college or doing anything after high school. For example, an 11th grade Propel student said, “The UcanB teacher told me that there are many jobs out there and getting a college degree isn’t the only path. Loving what you do for an occupation is #1. They really helped me.” Due to the positive impact the UcanB program has made in the community thus far, they are planning to add even more topics and assemblies to further the knowledge of the working world to the students. Some of those topics will include ways in which to dress for a job interview or what to wear to a professional workplace. These topics will be taught in a way that is engaging, motivational, and relatable to the students. There might even be a prize for exceptional students. The UcanB program has had an exceptional school year and now looks forward to starting their summer...

At the center of Building Bridges for Business’s U can B Program is the mission to provide essential skills and programs to high schoolers, offering coursework and experience that enhances students understanding, their skillsets, and their preparedness for life after high school. An exciting partnership was formed between Aziksa, Inc. and U can B to provide access to Life Learning Courses for high school students in the Pittsburgh region. Aziksa is a cloud-based learning platform that allows students to take courses online, and use curriculum easily and inexpensively – they can take advantage of courses in entrepreneurship, science and technology, green and sustainable science, and a variety of trades. Earlier this year, Aziksa, Inc. established a multi-year contract with U can B to provide a blended learning system that expands students’ access to courses. Available online and on mobile devices, the Aziksa online platform (www.aziksa.com) is easily accessible. Beyond that, the courses provided through Aziksa are deliberately curated to maximize teacher-student interaction through tools Virtual Classroom and Virtual Lab. “We are committed to offering easy to use classes to young people and this partnership will allow more students to take advantage of the U can B offerings,” said Aziksa President and CEO Santosh Jha. With this blended learning program, students can sign-up online and participate in the courses from their homes or on the go all the while still taking advantage of the benefits of interacting with fellow learners and their instructors. U can B’s reach is amplified by innovative services like Aziksa, now able to provide affordable and accessible educational material to a larger range of Pittsburgh students. “We are very pleased to be working with Aziksa. They really understand how best to deliver online learning in today’s world and I know students will benefit from the increased interaction” comments Linda Handley, U can B. The curriculum offered through U can B connects students with entrepreneurs, businesspeople, and nonprofits like Building Bridges, and engages them with the professional experiences of life after high school and college. U can B promotes student development and exposes young people to essential life learning courses, offering curriculum built to best fit a school’s needs. Courses provided through U can B cover themes such as entrepreneurship, web design and SEO, graphic design and animation, veterinary study and animal related careers, sustainability and environmental issues, green technology, and career preparation and networking education. Beyond engaging students with excellent curriculum, U can B also incorporates their proprietary Coffee With film series, a program that showcases industry leaders, politicians, and entrepreneurs sharing their stories and insights from their careers. Partnered with Aziksa, U can B is now accessible to more students than ever. More information about the U can B program is available at the Building Bridges website. Learn more about Aziksa, Inc....

  U can B @ Clayton High School will conclude in May with ‘Career Days at Clayton High’! Career Days will begin with an Interview Competition on May 1th. This will be followed by an in-school Career Fair on May 20th. The Building Bridges for Business U can B Program, a series of career awareness classes aimed at high school and middle school students, launched its first classes at Clayton Academy in Pittsburgh’s North Side on March 2, 2016. U can B classes at Clayton were provided through support of the Verizon Foundation. Topics for middle and high school students ranged from Career Interests to STEM-related Careers to Job Readiness Classes. Students in the middle school were registered for FREE online career profiles via STEM Premier. Students in the high school at Clayton focused specifically on topics such as Work Readiness, Job Search, Interview Skills, and Networking in preparation for Career Days. May 11th Interview Day Students are currently working on resumes and cover letters as a class project. These will be completed and reviewed by Clayton teachers prior to the Interview Day. On May 11th, students will participate in a panel style interview. U can B teachers, Clayton staff, and volunteers from the community will make up three panels. Students will cycle through for individual interviews. A scoring rubric will be used by the panelists to assess students’ interview performance. Three Awards will be selected: Best Interview, Best Resume, Best Cover Letter. Certificates and prizes will be presented to the winners. Certificates of Participation are to be presented to all students who completed the U can B Program. Winners to be announced at the May 20th Career Fair. May 20th Career Fair The U can B team has organized a Career Fair which will take place at Clayton on May 20th between 10:00-12:00. The Fair will be followed by a cookout and celebration. Students, teachers, U can B staff, employers, and volunteers are invited to attend the cookout. Approximately 65 students are expected. Awards will be presented during the cookout and celebration. The Career Fair and Cookout will be a wonderful way to conclude the school year. Students have put a lot of time and effort into the U can B Program at Clayton, and the May 20th event is their reward for that hard work. In addition to the celebration, students will have the opportunity to discuss jobs and careers with representatives from several Pittsburgh-area businesses including but not limited to United States Probation & Pretrial Services of Western PA, Allegheny Health Network, IBEX Global, Career Talk on KDKA, Legal Shield, and Arias Agencies. Arias Agencies, a division of American Income Life, has agreed to participate and present certificates of completion to the students. Title sponsor of Career Talk on KDKA, Arias Agencies has been an on-going supporter and hiring partner of the...

Youth entrepreneurship is growing rapidly in the United Staes and internationally. These stories prove that kids can be just as impactful in the business world as adults! With programs like U can B, we can prepare the next generation for college and beyond. More importantly, we can start unburying their passions today instead of tomorrow. Age is just a number. Let’s teach our kids there’s nothing they can’t master with a little knowledge and hard work. After that, we’ll see more and more youth entrepreneurial success stories, just like these! Rachel Zietz: Gladiator Lacrosse In 2013 at the age of 13, Rachel Zietz founded Gladiator Lacrosse. As a lacrosse player herself, Rachel found that sports equipment was too expensive and not particularly durable. To solve this problem, she has created a line of quality and affordable rebounders and practice goals for lacrosse players. Three years after its founding, Gladiator Lacrosse generated more than $1 million in revenue and Rachel was honored as one of the finalists for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Entrepreneur Award. Moziah Bridges: Mo’s Bows Moziah is only 14 years old, but he is already the CEO of his own company! Fueled by his love for fashion, this dapper CEO launched his own bow-tie business at age 9. Since its launch, Mo’s Bows has been featured on the Steve Harvey Show, the Today Show, Good Morning America, and Shark Tank. Mo hand picks every fabric and approves every visual element, and has sold more than $300,000 worth of bow ties and men’s accessories. Additionally, he’s dedicated to giving back to society. In 2012, Moziah started “go mo!” a charity focused on sending Memphis children to summer camp. Youth entrepreneurial success stories don’t have to be headline news. As technology and society advances, our education system needs to follow. That’s where programs like U can B come in. With courses in entrepreneurship, students grades 6-12 can be inspired from a young age to create their own opportunities in life! Together, we can make these types of success stories a prominent part of our culture, and not so taboo. Investing in our youth is investing in everyone’s future....